Free Week Part 1

Ah yes! The time for free week has arrived. It is the poor man’s (literally) SXSW because Red River and a few other venues offer you free shows over a two week period. It’s the best up and comers that Austin has to offer along with a few others that have been around for a while. Luckily there is no Bob Schneider or MC Overlord playing for the 2,356^th time. Antone’s, Parish, and even ACL Live Moody Theater have recently joined in on the fun and you do get the occasional acts from Houston or Louisiana. It’s great because you get to see acts you wouldn’t normally pay money to see and are pleasantly surprised by. For example, Tia Carrera sounds like a funny college radio band but I would never pay to see them until I stumbled upon their set at Red 7 last year and had my socks rocked off! So the best way to experience Free Week is to go to venues you wouldn’t normally hit up and just see what’s up. If the show sucks, you can always just leave and go to the next bar or venue. But if you’re anal and require planning here are a few suggestions that have worked out for me in the past or bands that I have not yet checked but have some interest in popping in on. 

They will also be playing at other times but these are the times I will probably hit them up. Also to be fair I’ll note which bands I’m friends with but I wouldn’t suggest them if they sucked. I'll preview more next week.

Zorch – 2 piece band. Experimental sonic music with crazy light show. 1/11 Holy Mountain

DJ Chorizo Funk – supposedly the best DJ in Austin behind Chicken George(friend) and Manny 1/5 ND Studios

Ume – 3 piece rock band with hot lead singer  1/4 Emo’s East 

Bloody Knives – speed shoegaze rock 1/9 Beerland

Boyfriendz – rock band I saw at a house party. Not bad 1/4 Scoot Inn

Woodgrain(friend) – instrumental rock 1/5 Red 7 

Spray paint (friend)– 3 piece experimental punk band.1/4 Beerland 

The Boxing Lesson – psychedelic rock 1/5 Cheer Up Charlie’s

League of Extraordinary G’z 1/6 Red 7 

Emily Bell – pop 1/4 Parish

 Crooked Bangs – 3 piece ramones esque rock 1/5 Red 7 

Residual Kid – 3 piece children’s 90’s rock – 1/5 red 7 

Whitman (friend)– hopefully the pink bunny shows up – 1/5 Frank’s